Kuria Therapeutics Receives Arkansas Matching Grant to Support Fuchs’ Dystrophy Research
- State funding complements NIH award supporting evaluation of SCO-116 in human corneal tissue
Little Rock, AR - Kuria Therapeutics, a biotechnology company developing novel small-molecule therapies for ophthalmic diseases, today announced that it has received matching grant funding from the Arkansas Economic Development Commission (AEDC) in support of its recently awarded Phase I Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the National Eye Institute (NEI) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
The NIH-funded research focuses on SCO-116, Kuria's lead NRF2 activator, and its potential to protect corneal endothelial cells in patients with Fuchs’ endothelial corneal dystrophy. The studies will use cultured human donor corneas exhibiting guttae, a hallmark feature of Fuchs’ dystrophy, to evaluate whether SCO-116 activates the NRF2 pathway and reduces corneal endothelial cell death. The AEDC matching award provides additional resources to support this research.
Fuchs’ dystrophy is a progressive disease characterized by the dysfunction and loss of corneal endothelial cells, which are essential for maintaining corneal transparency. There are currently no approved pharmacological treatments for the disease, and patients with advanced Fuchs’ may require corneal transplantation to restore vision.
“We are very pleased to receive this additional support from the State of Arkansas,” said Misty Stevens, PhD, Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Kuria Therapeutics and Principal Investigator on the NIH Phase I grant. “Our NIH-funded studies are designed to provide important evidence of SCO-116's activity in human tissue that closely reflects the biology of Fuchs’ dystrophy. The AEDC's continued support of our research will help us advance this work as we develop SCO-116 toward clinical evaluation as a potential non-surgical treatment for patients with Fuchs’.”
The new funding complements Kuria's ongoing NIH-supported IND-enabling development program for KTX-1161, its preservative-free topical ophthalmic formulation of SCO-116. Together, these programs support the development of SCO-116 as a potential disease-modifying treatment for Fuchs’ dystrophy, while the company also continues to explore its potential to protect corneal endothelial cells from injury associated with cataract surgery.
About Kuria Therapeutics
Kuria Therapeutics is a biotechnology company focused on developing innovative small-molecule therapies for ophthalmic diseases with significant unmet medical need. The company's lead programs target diseases of the corneal endothelium, with the goal of providing non-surgical treatment options that preserve vision and improve patient outcomes.